


Finals, Insults, and Love

by VisionaryGalaxy



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [138]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Boys In Love, Don't copy to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Stress, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-09 21:44:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18925576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionaryGalaxy/pseuds/VisionaryGalaxy
Summary: "When was the last time you slept?"





	Finals, Insults, and Love

**Author's Note:**

> Low-key, Stephen is me during exam week.

   “When was the last time you slept?”

   Stephen didn’t bother looking up from his desk, where his textbook and notes were strewn messily, organized chaos as he liked to call it, “sleep can’t cure this kind of tiredness,” he mumbled. The same mantra he recited to Wong every time his roommate complained about how late he was staying up.

   “Riiiight…so your solution is to just keep staying awake?”

   Stephen let out a groan of frustration, slamming closed one book and reaching for another from his pile. He flipped it open expertly, finger running down the table of contents as he tried to find something that might actually help him with his upcoming final.

   “Here I thought you were going to be a doctor,” Tony muttered from where he was sprawled out on Stephen’s bed.

   Stephen swivelled in his chair, glaring at the other boy as irritation swept through him, “Tony, what are you even doing here? I told you not to come tonight.”

   He shrugged unapologetically, “I know, but you’ve also been ignoring me for the past ten days. You’ve barely answered my texts, let alone my phone calls. I needed to take matters into my own hands.”

   Stephen stared at him for a long moment. Tony seemed utterly unbothered by the fact that he was interrupting him at one of the most crucial times of the academic year and quite suddenly Stephen found himself sick of it. Sick of the entitlement, and cockiness, and genius, and rich brat attitude that used to be so god damn attractive to him.

   They had been dating only three months. A miracle by Stephen’s standards and unheard of for Tony, who was known around his own campus as the playboy. Three months was hardly anytime at all and Stephen felt like pulling his hair out and cursing himself for ever thinking him and Stark could ever work.

   “You should go,” he said, hands clenching into fists on his lap.

   Tony raised an eyebrow, smile still pinned to his lips, “why? So you can keep killing yourself working?”

   Stephen couldn’t believe it and maybe it was the exhaustion or the stress or just having the reality of his situation shoved in his face but all at once he snapped, rising to his feet and gritting out the words, “you don’t fucking get it, do you? Here I thought you were better than all that money you flaunt around so carelessly, better than your privileged life you’ve been wasting away this whole fucking time.”

   Tony blinked up at him, expression startled, but Stephen couldn’t stop, “If I fail this final or _any_ of these fucking finals, if I don’t get my average, I lose my scholarship Tony.”

   Tony opened his mouth to speak, his own storm cloud brewing in his eyes, though it didn’t stop Stephen from speaking over him, “yeah, yeah, I know your smart enough to win every stupid scholarship at MIT but you don’t get it. You don’t have to rely on it, if you mess it up you can afford your tuition. I’d have to go back home, I’d have to start all over again and I’m not about to give up becoming a doctor for anything, not even you. So, _get out.”_

   Stephen was breathing hard after he was done, chest heaving from the outburst of emotion and for the first time in a weak his exhaustion was forgotten in the face of his frustration and subsequent guilt.

   Silence settled between them as Stephen waited for Tony to get up and leave, though he appeared frozen, looking up at him with an expression he couldn’t decipher. He knew the man was angry, Stephen was long practiced in hitting all the right buttons to make people leave, usually in a huff but occasionally in tears, there was no way he wasn’t feeling that fire.

   Then, to Stephen complete shock, Tony crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, watching him carefully, “no.”

   The word echoed in Stephen’s head over and over as he stared at him incredulously. Tony was stubborn but this was pathetic even for him and while he hated to do it, truly, Stephen resorted to a low blow, shaking his head at the man and offering a humorless snort, “come on Tony, you have no reason to be here. There is a whole campus at MIT you can fuck because you’re not getting it from me anymore.”

   Tony’s eye twitched, Stephen was ready to declare victory.

   “That’s disappointing but it’s a good thing I like more then just your body.”

   Stephen’s hands clenched into fists as he glared down at him, uncomprehendingly, before finally letting out a cry of frustration that was sure to piss off their neighbors who were also studying their medical finals, “what are you doing!? Just fucking leave.”

   Tony seemed to take a steadying breath, then he was climbing off the bed and Stephen was resolutely ignoring the pit in his stomach because this was what he wanted. Then to his utter shock, Tony was in front of him, taking his hands into his and glaring up at him, “I said no.”

   “Why?” he hated how broken it sounded, but he hadn’t slept in fifty-two hours except for ten minute power naps, had barely eaten, and could feel all the memorised notes swimming in his head on loop and it was just way too much. Now Tony was standing here all soft and adamant and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

   Tony shook his head, “I love you.”

   Stephen looked away at the gentle tone, “it doesn’t matter, I need to-”

   “Stop,” came Tony firm voice, squeezing his hands. “You need to stop and sleep and preferably eat something.”

   “My finals-”

   “Aren’t for another three days and if you study right through, you’ll be in an ambulance instead of the test.”

   Stephen said nothing but didn’t protest when Tony began tugging him toward his bed. That was the thing about Tony, the man could get you to do just about anything and in Stephen’s case, all it took was a few soft touches. It was actually rather embarrassing.

   He was pushed and guided into the bed, ignoring the fact they were still in jeans and socks, as Tony covered them both with the comforter. The man managed to slip behind, effectively spooning him but the moment his head touched the pillow he was too exhausted to protest. Arms encircled his waist and lips were being pressed to the back of his neck.

   Stephen could feel sleep calling him, dragging his lids down and forcing him to go lax. He didn’t succumb to the darkness though, the guilt in his gut churning relentlessly until he couldn’t take it anymore and found himself whispering regretfully, “I’m sorry about what I said.”

   Another kiss, the arms squeezing him, “I know, its alright.”

   “Its not.”

   A sigh, “ok, its not and we’ll talk about it, but it wasn’t anything I didn’t expect.”

   That roused him a bit, making Stephen try to turn to face him but Tony’s arms held him secure. He gave up quickly, reveling in the warmth along his back, “what do you mean by that?”

   A soft chuckle, “Christine called me and warned me to stay away during finals because you’re, and I quote, ‘douchbaggery levels reach an all time high due to stress’ or at least according to her.”

   “You still came anyway,” Stephen whispered.

   Tony hummed, “I’m needy and you weren’t answering so ass or no, I wanted to see you….then Wong called and practically begged me to come over and either drag you away or make you sleep before he lost his own mind.”

   “Uh, that explains why Wong isn’t here,” Stephen murmured drowsily.

   Tony’s breath ghosted across his neck, making him shiver a bit, “yeah, I think you’ve driven him out for a few days at least.”

   Stephen was on the verge of unconsciousness now, mind going fuzzy as he surrendered to blissful peace, “but not you, you stay,” he muttered.

   “Not me,” Tony confirmed. “I’ve got you, always.”

**Author's Note:**

> No upload tomorrow so enjoy an extra and whatever else I manage to cook up (or not) before bed tonight :)


End file.
